Week 1

08/22/09 - 08/30/09 (or so)

Well, we have now been in the Philippines for a full week. It feels so much longer already. That is neither a good thing nor a bad thing...just and observation of how time has become weird.

This first week was Initial Orientation (IO). Oh, before I get into that, can I say that the Peace Corps LOVES acronyms. It is insane. Kind of like learning another foreign language. But, back to the IO. After flying in, the 70 trainees spent a week at a hotel in Antipolo (just West of Manila). Basically, we had meetings all day on various topics. It was pretty low key and helped us to transition to our new environment and get to know each other. I think if we had just flown in and been dropped off with our host families, my head would have exploded.

Anyway, not much exciting to report about the IO experience other than I am glad I had the chance to meet all of the other trainees in our batch. Sadly, though, at the end of the week, we all split off to our respective regions. A week doesn't seem like much, but I grew fond of so many people and wish that I could see them more often than we will.

It is funny, as I am typing this, I realize there are so many things to describe, but I am not eloquent enough to weave them into a narrative, so here is a bulleted rundown:
- 69 or so trainees
- 3 types of volunteer: 01) coastal resource management (CRM), 02) children, youth and family (CYF), 03) education
- 3 regions of training: 01) la union, 02) bataan, 03) leyte
- each region has 2 of the types of volunteer
- i am lazy!

Ok, so the week is over. We are now with our host family in the La Union region (cannot post specific town for security reasons). We will be here for the next 3 months doing Pre-Service Training (PST). It is hot. It rains in the afternoon. It is really quite beautiful here.

I will attach a few pictures of thew view from our hotel.

Not sure how often I will be able to update the blog.

Hope you are all well.

Peace Out


View of the Hotel


Another Shot of the Hotel

How Do I Post?

Since arriving, it has been difficult for me to determine what I should post and what I shouldn't post about this experience. I am not talking about what is "appropriate" to post in a blog about the Peace Corps. We discussed blogs and Peace Corps policy during staging and it seemed pretty obvious: don't be an insensitive asshole and save your frustrations for personal conversation. Maybe that isn't obvious for some people in the Internet Age, but either way, that isn't what I am talking about. My problem is: what do people want to hear about? Of course, you could be sarcastic and say, "we don't care what you have to say, Scott." I am sure that is true for a lot of you, but hey, you don't have to read this blog, so that problem is easily solved. My problem is, with all the information and experience that I am taking in right now, how do I pick out the things to write about?

I don't know.

Should I write about really unique experiences that make for funny/interesting stories? Should I share random details of the process for people who are interested in the Peace Corps? Should I just wait until I am inspired to write? I really don't know.

So, after all that, I will share a little story.

Last night I took my first malaria pill. The medicine we are on is supposed to be taken once a week. We take them Mondays because it is easy to remember "Malaria Mondays." The possible side effects include gastrointestinal distress, vomiting, diarrhea, vivid dreams, and psychosis!! How horrifying is that? You won't get malaria, but you could go insane!!

Fortunately, I took mine before bed last night and woke up feeling ok. I also preemptively took immodium for my stomach, so maybe that helped. We are supposed to go to the Mall of Asia today to get cell phones, and I didn't want to feel sick on the bus. Too soon for embarrassing stomach problems.

Okay, that is my one random story.

Everything else is going well. I like my fellow trainees. Jessie and I are excited to find out what our training region will be. I think it will be ok to post about it when we know. If not, you will get a personal email from me about it.

Until then. Peace Out.

We Made It!

After months of anticipation and preparation (in the form of buying supplies and packing and saying goodbyes), we have finally made it to the Philippines!!

On Thursday, August 20 we flew from Chicago to San Francisco for staging. The Facebook group that Kris started came in handy because Jessie and I (mostly me because I am a Facebook stalker) were able to identify fellow trainees who were also flying through Chicago. It was amusing to me...hopefully not creepy to everyone else.

We arrived in San Fran after a 4 hour flight and had staging. Really, not much exciting to report about that. It gave us a chance to meet the other trainees (note, we are not volunteers until after our 3 months of training).

On the 21st (which feels like is yesterday in our time-traveling minds), we flew from San Francisco to Tokyo. It was about an 11.5 hour flight, but it wasn't bad at all. The plane felt pretty roomy. There were lots of movies on demand and a trivia game that was designed for people much smarter than me. Jessie slept almost the entire flight, but doesn't actually remember sleeping.

We spent 2 hours at the airport in Tokyo. It was pretty entertaining. The women's toilets (I'm told) have a fake flushing sound so that you can be discreet in your bathroom-ing. Both the men's and women's toilets have built in robot bidet's that they call "showers." I didn't not try them, but apparently they were very powerful. I also took a couple pictures of the McDonald's menu, which had a couple random burgers. I will try to post them later...

We then flew for 4.5 hours to Manila. It was a good flight because I was out cold the entire time.

We arrived in the Philippines at about 11:30, or so, at night on the 21st because of the time change. We basically lost all of August 21 to flying and time changes.

Comments on arriving in the Philippines? None yet. I am still processing.

It is really hot and sweaty. I don't mind it so far, but we are still in excited mode.

Alright, I am losing the ability to form coherent thought...

Peace Out

Wrapping Up Our Lives

Here I am all awesome about counting down my departure from work, and I can't even make time to post about staging...

Well, staging is coming up on August 20 in California (not sure if I am supposed to name the city on a public blog?). We were notified by email of this information with directions to call SATO travel to get our tickets. We also received a .pdf agenda for the day's activities that last from 2:00 - 7:00 pm.

Then, on August 21, we all fly out to the Philippines together!

Jessie and I really can't believe that it is coming up so soon. I have had no time to be nervous at all...completely in excited mode right now.

The past couple weeks have been weird for me. I wrapped up work on July 24. After 5 years as a public defender, I wasn't sad to leave. The job wasn't bad; I was just ready to get on with this new adventure. It has been a process that has gone on for a year, so it's not like I haven't had time to think about my "retirement" from the practice of law. I suppose it might hit me in a few months when all the excitement of leaving, meeting new people and training has worn off.

It has also been odd being mildly homeless. Jessie and I had been casually packing up stuff all Summer. After the 24th, though, we had 5 days to wrap everything up and either throw it away or move it into one of our parents' basements. We actually wish we had thrown more away (or given or sold). Two years seems like a long time to keep an IKEA bedroom set in storage. Maybe we will email directions back home for our stuff to be given away. Haha.

After moving out of our apartment, we moved into my little sister's apartment and have been staying here since. She has been kind enough to stay with her boyfriend during this stretch, so we have the place to ourselves. Still, it isn't ours. We have our Peace Corps bags (and a few other things) just laying around the apartment. We spend our days and nights either further organizing, hanging out with friends and family, or just enjoying some lazy time (and watching our new favorite show, Eureka).

In a couple of days, we are going to move out again and spend our last few days in the burbs with our families (sleeping at my parents'). It is supposed to be sad, but I am not quite there yet...still blinded by the excitement of leaving. Again, I think it will hit me later.

Hopefully when we get to the Philippines, I will have more exciting things to write about.

Until then...